


The Reckless and Abandoned

by Bunnie24



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-03-26 07:22:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13852845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bunnie24/pseuds/Bunnie24
Summary: After the IRA arrives in Birmingham, the Peaky Blinders must decide whether the newcomers are their allies or enemies.





	1. The Hunt

She walked around the market with her hands in her pants pockets, looking at the fresh goods available when she noticed the reddest apple she had ever seen. She stopped and looked up at the vendor and nodded to him, pulling a shilling out of her pocket and handing it to him.

The Asian man smiled as he took it “Thank you.” He managed out, while the young woman grabbed the apple from the crate.

“Oh, Mr. Nguyen?” the young woman called out, getting the man’s attention as he looked at her with a tense look on his face; she pulled out a gun and smiled “Ira Kilpatrick says ‘hello’.”

She pulled the trigger, a bullet straight to the man’s head as he fell to the ground; the market now in panic with other gun shots were fired, women screaming, and an entire flock of people fleeing from the scene.

She smirked to herself, watching her comrades wreak havoc among the city of Birmingham; for the moment this city was hers—and she loved being Queen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Tommy!” Arthur Shelby yelled as he entered his brothers office, hat wrung up in his hands out of anxiety as he approached the desk.

Thomas Shelby took off his glasses and sat back in his chair “What, Arthur?” he asked, almost annoyed as Arthur stood in front of him.

“We have a bit of a situation.” Arthur said through labored breathe “The IRA are in Birmingham.”

Arthur sunk into the closest seat as Tommy pondered on the information “And why would the IRA be in Birmingham, Arthur? That sounds like an odd and rather redundant thing to me.”

“Tommy,” Arthur said lowly “They killed a man in broad daylight. Out in the market. Just fucking shot a vendor in the fucking face. And then trashed the whole place.” He explained.

The middle Shelby just stared at his older brother who was practically vibrating in his seat, waiting for a response from Tommy who took a deep breath.

“And you’re sure it’s the IRA?”

“Tommy,” Arthur said, sitting on the edge of the seat “Even if I’m wrong, somebody came into _our_ town and fucked _our_ shit up.” He spoke sternly.

Arthur huffed, glaring at Tommy who nodded with a slight pout “Did anybody get a good look at them?”

“Yeah,” Arthur started before clearing his throat “The girl who shot the poor bastard.”

Tommy perked up at the response “Girl?”

Arthur grunted “Young one…no older than Michael it would seem.”

The room went silent, Tommy sat up in his chair once again and put his glasses down on his desk “Then I suggest you go find this girl and her soldiers, and that you bring them to the distillery—I’ll let Charlie know we have guests coming.”

Arthur stood up from his chair, leaning towards Tommy who glared at him in contempt “You don’t want to be makin’ enemies with these folks, yeah? At least have a little chat before you go cutting up a girls’ face.” He suggested.

Tommy sighed “Fine. Take Finn with ya—he needs to get out more.”

Arthur nodded “You’re a good man, Tommy. I’ll find ‘em…” he said, backing away from Tommy’s desk and out of his office entirely.

Tommy shook his head, rubbing his temple as he thought about what Arthur just told him: what _were_ the IRA doing here? There’d been no business that he was aware of in Birmingham where the IRA were even slightly involved. As far as he was concerned, they kept to themselves; fighting for the freedom of the North.

“Fucks sake…” he muttered under his breath as he placed a cigarette to his lips and lit it with a single stroke of the match; regardless of the outcome, this would be interesting.

 

 

 

 

“Alright, listen up!” Arthur yelled, getting the attention of his band of soldiers ‘We are lookin’ for a couple of Paddy’s, their ring leader being a tiny red head lass, in a pant suit. The objective is to round ‘em up—but if they take a swing at ya, take ‘em down. Understand?” he yelled, taking a drag of his cigarette.

Arthur huffed “Alright—fuck off, ya lot!” he instructed, waving off the men as he turned away to grab his bag of Coke and dab some on his hand to snort.

He wandered off, walking into the closest bar for a drink—he trusted his boys to find who they were looking for; but in the meantime, Arthur was going to sit back, and have a drink.

“The usual.” He told the bartender, taking a sit at the bar next to a young woman who was somewhat hidden in the shadows of the cloudy day, but he could feel her smirk at him.

“Long day?” she asked.

Arthur turned to her “A bit, yeah. Yourself?”

The woman shrugged “It’s been a bit excitin’ for me, to be honest.”

Arthur watched as she pulled a cigarette from her case and placed it to her lips, he didn’t hesitate as he grabbed his box of matches and lit her cigarette.

“Thanks.” she muttered, taking a puff and blowing out the smoke as she looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

“Is your day getting better at least?” she asked; it was then Arthur began to notice her accent.

Arthur shrugged “Afraid not. You don’t sound like you’re from around here.” He remarked.

They went silent as the bartender brought two shots of straight Whiskey to the bar and set them in front of Arthur before walking away.

“Ireland.” She said, taking another drag of her cigarette.

Arthur hummed, turning himself completely to face the woman “And what brings you to Birmingham?” he asked.

The young woman turned to face him as well, exposing her face to him “Family business.”

“Yeah? Well, I hope it’s good family business. Nothing worse than bad family business.” Arthur told her, getting a good look at this woman.

She was young. Blue eyes, extremely fair skin…almost translucent in a way, and red…hair…

Arthur raised an eyebrow, ignoring what she was saying as he looked her up and down: feminine pant suit; Polly would be envious of it.

“You wouldn’t be a member of the IRA, would ya, love?” Arthur asked, interrupting her and getting straight to the point.

She raised an eyebrow at him “Who wants to know?” she asked.

They both went still for a moment, waiting for the other to say something, when out of nowhere Arthur punched her; right out of her seat and onto the floor where she laid unconscious.

Arthur went back to his drinks, shooting both down before throwing money on the bar “Keep the change.” He muttered, getting out of his seat and towards the girl.

He stepped on her still lit cigarette, putting it out with his shoe before he leaned down to get another look at her, he was pretty sure this was the girl he was looking for.

It didn’t take much effort to throw her over his shoulder and glare at the bartender before immediately walking out of the bar.

 


	2. Troublemaker

They sat around, waiting for her to wake up: Arthur, Charlie, Tommy, and Alfie (who decided to come along just out of pure boredom when Tommy had to depart early from a business proposition).

Tommy took a drag of his cigarette, looking at the unconscious girl before glancing over at Arthur “You sure you didn’t kill her?”

Arthur huffed “She was breathing when I carried her from the car.”

Tommy turned to Charlie and shared a glance before Alfie stood up from his seat on a crate and stroked his beard while staring at the girl.

“So…you’re just gonna wait for her to wake up?” Alfie asked, inching closer to her.

Arthur huffed “Tried to wake her up. She’s a very heavy sleep, that one is.”

Alfie hummed, glancing over at Arthur while nudging the girl with his boot; she grumbled as she rocked back for a second.

“Oi!” Alfie yelled, kneeling down to tap on her arm “Wakey, wakey.” He said with his gruff voice.

It took her a second, she grumbled and whined before finally opening her eyes; though, her vision was blurry while Alfie smiled down at her “There she is.”

The girl gave another grumble, blinding her eyes to see what was staring down at her, furrowing her brow at Alfie who smiled at her “Ello poppet.” He greeted.

Tommy came up behind Alfie, staring down at the her while Alfie reached his hand out and pulled her up off the dirt as she sat up on the ground.

“Girl,” Tommy spoke to her, his cigarette in between his lips as she looked up at him still slightly discombobulated “What’s your name?”

She mumbled.

“What?” Tommy asked.

She mumbled again, slightly louder.

“I can’t fucking hear you!” Tommy yelled, slightly annoyed with her.

Alfie turned to Tommy, putting a finger up to silence him “She might be a troublemaker, but she’s still a lady.” He remarked, turning back to the girl “Why don’t we try this again, my dear, what’s your name, love?” Alfie asked her.

“Vada.”

The men stood perplexed.

“Vada?” Tommy asked.

“What kind of a name is Vada?” Arthur asked.

The girl huffed “It’s a fucking family name, is what it is—yeah!” she remarked, finally leveling herself as she looked up at the men.

“Your man’s got a mean right hook.” She told Tommy.

Tommy nodded “So, I’ve been told.”

Alfie groaned, extending his hand out to Vada as she took it and stood up from the dirt, finally eye level with the men in front of her.

“Alright, Vada,” Tommy said, walking closer to her as he got into her face “Why are you shooting up innocent men just trying to make a living?”

She scuffed “Cause he wasn’t no innocent.”

Tommy hummed, pouting his lip slightly at her “So then what was he then?”

“A traitor.” Vada said.

Tommy raised an eyebrow “A traitor?” he took a step back, taking another drag of his cigarette as he took a good look at her “Heard you were IRA?”

Vada nodded.

“So how would a man from Asia be seen as a traitor to the IRA? Enough so, that they send a child to do their dirty work?” Tommy asked.

Vada huffed “I’m no child.”

Tommy smirked “Is that so?” he took another drag “So, then how old are you Vada, truly?”

“None of your fucking business.” Vada responded.

Alfie smiled “I like this one.”

Tommy motioned for Alfie to step away from her, the men looking over at Vada who was a lone wolf at The Yard; Tommy looked her over, she wasn’t that intimidating…not psychically anyway—and he knew to let the IRA keep to themselves, but this was his territory and she had crossed a line.

“So, back to the first question: why was he a traitor?” Tommy asked.

Vada couldn’t help but roll her eyes “Because he turned his back on us. We had a deal, he gave my father the weapons, and we’d give him a bountiful reward. And he got greedy; and so when my father told him ‘no’ on a different business propitiation—he dimed us out to the British…like a coward. And so my father sent me here to take care of it. Family business, he refers to it.”

The room went silent, Tommy turned to Arthur and whispered in his ear—whatever he said, Arthur agreed with when Tommy turned back to her.

“So now that you’ve finished your ‘Family Business’, I assume you’ll be on your way home?” Tommy asked.

Vada smirked as she shook her head “I’m just getting started.”

Tommy glared at her, he dropped his cigarette and stepped on it before approaching Vada “No, you’re not.” He said in a low mumble “This is my town. Our town. See, you might be the IRA…but we’re the fucking Peaky Blinders, we own this town.”

She hummed “I didn’t realize there was a kingdom here in Birmingham.”

“Watery Lane.” Tommy corrected her.

Vada forced a flirty smirk at him “See…I don’t take my orders from a thug. You want me outta here? You’re gonna have to take it up with my father.”

“Then get him here.” Tommy said coldly.

Vada leaned in close “I’d be happy to.”

Charlie and Arthur glanced at each other, not sure exactly what was going on while Tommy and Vada stared each other down.

“So it’s settled, we’ll wait for your father. In the meantime, stay out of our way and our business.” Tommy told her.

Vada nodded “I will try my hardest.” She assured, reaching her hand out towards Tommy for him to shake it.

Tommy didn’t break eye contact as he shook her hand, Vada let a soft smile out “Pleasure doing business with you.” She said, taking her hand back.

“Charlie,” Tommy said, turning to face his uncle “Please escort…” he turned back to Tommy “I suppose you have a last name?”

“Kilpatrick.”

Tommy nodded at her “Charlie, please escort Ms. Kilpatrick out.” He said before walking away.

Arthur followed behind while Alfie stayed put, introducing himself to Vada while Arthur stormed next to his brother.

“And what the hell was that all about?” Arthur asked.

Tommy shook his head “She’s just a kid, Arthur—the real battle is going to be with her father, and his men.”

“We could say the same thing about Michael and Finn…just kids.” Arthur retorted.

Tommy nodded “We could. But if memory serves me right, they don’t seem as independent as this one.” He said.

“So we’ll keep an eye on her then?” Arthur asked.

Tommy shrugged “It wouldn’t hurt.” He said, grabbing into his jacket pocket to retrieve his cigarette case and put another cigarette onto his lips “I’m not too sure about her.” He confessed to Arthur.

Arthur nodded “Neither am I.”          


	3. Handled

He stormed across the Betting House, glancing at the men with their yelling and their tossing of money like it was nothing; Tommy couldn’t honestly care less these days, he had too much going on in his mind to worry about the bets.

Tommy entered through the door into the Shelby house, seeing Polly and Ava talking over a cup of tea at the table.

“I hear our brother has a knack for hitting women these days.” Ada remarked, taking another sip of her tea.

Tommy sighed “You heard that, did ya?”

“Well, when Arthur Shelby Jr hits a woman in broad daylight in a bar, it gets around rather quickly.” Ada persisted.

Tommy turned his back to them, lighting a cigarette as he looked at the fire that was warming up the tea pot; Polly turned to face her nephew with a frown on her face.

“Take it, you found the girl?” she asked.

Tommy nodded “Yes. Bit of a handful, that one.”

Polly smirked “So, then I take it that she’s been handled?”

Tommy turned back to the two of them “No she’s going to call her father so he can come here. The IRA has some business they need attending to here.” He remarked.

“Wait, so…she was IRA? Actual IRA?” Ada asked.

Tommy nodded “Afraid so.”

“So…so she was in charge? Of men?” Ada persisted.

Tommy looked at his sister, slightly annoyed with her questions when Polly stood up from her chair “What do you mean, the IRA have business here?”

“Look, I’m not gonna go into details with you about this,” Tommy insisted “But it’s being handled.” He told her.

Polly stalked towards him, her hands laced as she glared at her nephew, her eyes bright with anger “The IRA have no business here,” she said coldly “And if that little bitch, whoever she is, moves even a single hair out of line, I will kill the both of you.”

Tommy glared back at Polly “Like I said, Pol, it’s being handled.” He said before walking out of the room.

 

 

 

“Does it really have to take four of us to babysit a fucking Paddy?” Michael asked, taking a puff of his cigarette.

Isaiah smirked “Oh, c’mon, Mickey…don’t act so defiant—we both know you were checking out that ass.”

“It’s quite plump.” Finn muttered.

Michael and Isaiah glanced at the youngest Peaky Blinder, who immediately turned away and towards Bonnie who shook his head and chuckled at him.

Isaiah stopped Michael, pushing him towards the closest building to hide around the corner while Finn and Bonnie followed; Bonnie did think Michael had a point: why did Arthur insist the four of them watch her? It was quite crowded, it being the four of them.

They heard steps stop by the brick building, the rocks graveling into the dirt when they heard the voice of an Irishman.

“So what do you want us to do?” the man asked.

Another person hummed “Well, I’m a woman of my word, stand down…don’t get into any trouble. My father will be here in a week, and then we’ll see what happens.”

Isaiah and Michael looked around the edge of the building, watching Vada Kilpatrick and one of her IRA men talking.

“Are you sure you can trust ‘em? Those Peaky Blinders?” the man asked her.

Vada shrugged “Do I have much of a choice?” she asked rhetorically.

The man took a step closer to her “Yes. Why listen to a bunch of Gypsies?! Fuck’em!” the man remarked.

The young Peaky Blinders watched as Vada’s face grew cold and her brow furrowed before she grabbed the man’s shirt and pulled her closer to her “You don’t make a fuckin’ move without my say so. Per my fathers orders. If I say ‘stand down’, you fucking stand down. Otherwise, I will gut you like a fucking fish.” She spoke soft yet firmly.

“Yes, ma’am.” The man muttered.

Vada let him go and pushed the man away “Now get outta here, I’m tired of looking at your fucking face.” She said before walking into the shop she was standing in front of.

The boys pulled back against the wall, the four of them quiet when out of the silence, Finn began to chuckle “Is that your gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” he asked Michael.

The boys couldn’t help but look down at Michael’s pants to see the growing bulge sticking out from underneath.

“Getting a little excited there, Gray? Didn’t know you had a thing for Gingers!” Isaiah pestered.

Michael rolled his eyes, wrapping his coat around himself to hide his erection while the other three continued to laugh.

“Gotta bit of wood for the girl? Maybe if you ask her nicely she’ll polish your knob for ya?” Bonnie pestered on.

Michael grew frustrated “Oi! Fuck you lot!” he said, pushing himself off the wall and around the corner to enter the shop.

It was a bit crowded, full of women’s clothes; Michael realized he made a grave error walking in as he stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Anything I can help you with, sir?” the sales woman asked.

Michael shook his head “No, just browsing.” He said softly, keeping an eye out for the girl as he saw her in the back, examining dresses.

He walked closer to her, watching her admire the dresses and touch the fabric tenderly; it was as if a switch was flipped with her, she didn’t seem so cold any longer.

“I’d go with the red one.” He said.

She turned to face him “Excuse me?” she asked with her strong Dublin accent.

Michael smiled “You were going back and forth between the red dress and the blue one; the red one would work better for you.”

“In what sense?” she asked, taking her hands away from the dresses and glared at him.

Michael looked her over, _God—she’s perfect._ He thought to himself. “To find a man.” He told her.

Vada glared at him, her lips pursed before nodding, slightly annoyed by him “I’ll take that into mind. Though, I’m not sure how much I value the opinion of a Peaky Blinder about my appearance.” She said.

“How do you know I’m a Peaky Blinder?” Michael asked her.

Vada looked him up and down “Because of your clothes, besides I saw your friends and you following me all over town. You boys should be more careful, it’s hard to sneak up on someone when there’s a pack of you.” She said, moving slightly closer towards him.

She looked down at his crotch, the bulge presenting itself and Michael hadn’t even tried to hide it from her when she looked back up at Michael “Y’know, there’s a whorehouse down the block from here. I’m sure one of those lovely girls would take care of that for you.” She said with a smirk.

Michael watched her as she turned around and grabbed the blue dress of the rack “Have a nice day.” She told him before walking past him and put a 10 quid at the cashier desk “Keep the change, love.” She said before walking out of the shop.

He was stuck in place for a moment before finally gaining enough strength to walk out of the shop, he was perplexed; no girl could withstand the charms of a Peaky Blinder, and there she was…looking through him like he was nothing.

“So, how’d it go?” Finn asked.

Michael huffed, putting another cigarette to his lips “I’m gonna go find a whore.” He said before walking away.

“Finn, Bonnie…keep following her, Isaiah—come with me, or not.” Michael instructed before he left the other three behind.

Isaiah raised an eyebrow “Follow you to find a whore? You’re my best friend, mate, but I do not want to be a part of that.”

Michael just ignored him before he turned back to look at Finn and Bonnie “I’m gonna go back to the house, just keep an eye on her.” He instructed before leaving the two boys.

 


	4. Coup de Main

A few days had gone by and Tommy hadn’t seen or heard from the IRA since that first meeting; according to the boys, Vada had disappeared and they were unable to track her down.

Tommy wasn’t sure what to make of that news, though no news was good news, he couldn’t help but wonder in the back of his mind if the Irish girl was planning something while he sat at his desk, smoking a cigarette.

There was then a frantic knock on the door before Lizzie barged in “Tommy—Arthur just called, there was a shoot-out at the Charlie’s Yard.”

“What?” Tommy asked, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray while licking his lips.

Lizzie huffed “He said something about ‘Paddys’, or something along those lines.”

Tommy perked up, immediately standing from his seat and walking to his coat hanger to grab his infamous cap and jacket before walking past Lizzie and out of his office; she kept jabbering on, but he wasn’t listening as he reached into his pocket for his car keys and threw himself into the car.

“TOMMY!” Lizzie yelled, finally getting his attention as he turned to her “Did you listen to anything I said?” she asked annoyed.

Tommy looked at her “No.” he said before starting his car and zoomed off the property, leaving Lizzie in the dust.

 

 

When he pulled into the Yard, it was quiet…a bit too quiet; there was an eerie feeling in the air as he exited his car.

Tommy looked around, everything was so still and it made him nervous until he heard the loud echo of his brothers’ voice; Tommy huffed as he followed Arthur’s voice around back and saw a gruesome scene.

He counted 7 bodies, none of their faces he recognized as he looked around to see Arthur yelling at Finn and Bonnie while Michael sat in a corner with a cigarette in between his lips and a black eye forming on his left eye; he glanced at what was next to him as he saw Curly sitting and hovering over somebody—he couldn’t tell who as he walked towards them.

Curly was talking to the individual, as cheerful as always as he was using a cloth to wipe the person’s face.

“It’s alright, love…we’ll getcha cleaned up in no time!” Curly said.

Tommy stopped in his tracks as he saw a lock of red hair blow in the wind, uncovering the battered face of Vada Kilpatrick.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me!” Tommy remarked as he approached them.

Curly looked over his shoulder and smiled at Tommy “Tommy! You’re here—it was quite a show here earlier. This one gave those boys a run for their money.” He said, smiling before turning back to Vada to wipe more combination of dirt and blood off her face.

Vada stopped him, gently pushing his hand away as she spit blood out of her mouth, taking a deep breathe before looking back up at Curly.

“Tommy!” Arthur called out, walking up to the group as Tommy flung his arms out at him.

“The fuck is going on here?!” Tommy asked.

Arthur huffed “Them Paddy’s tried to take the Yard.”

Tommy glared back over at Vada, who looked back up at him with frustration “So this is you keeping a low profile, is it!?” he hissed.

“Tommy, Tommy! She’s with us.” Arthur interjected, pulling Tommy away from Vada.

Tommy looked at his brother, he flared his nostrils before he took a deep breath “Alright, I want answers right this second.”

Arthur nodded, motioning Tommy to follow him as he started yelling at Finn and Bonnie again, who were getting ready to dig graves out in the open field; Finn and Bonnie huffed, grabbing their shovels while Arthur yelled at them more about making sure the graves are big and deep.

“Alright, Tom—look, those IRA bastards thought they could just storm in and take our Yard, but it was just the boys, yeah? So, it’s a shoot-out…bullets fucking flying every which way and all of a sudden, they start going down. The gal is off in the distance, picking ‘em off one by one, until them burly fucks got a hold of her and started beating her to a pulp. But she’s nimble, that one! Yeah?” Arthur explained, reaching into his pocket to grab his cigarette case and snagged a cigarette out of it.

Arthur huffed as he lit his cigarette “She saved Mikey Boy. She distracted the bastards long enough for the boys and I to finish them off. Granted, her face looks like someone took a steel pipe to her, but she’s completely innocent…in this instance.” He told Tommy.

Tommy watched Arthur, shaking his head softly before grabbing a cigarette from Arthur’s case and lit it “God fucking damnit.” He muttered.

“Aye.” Arthur said, putting his hands in his pockets.

The brothers were silent, smoking their cigarettes as they watched the aftermath of the almost coup; Tommy glanced back over at Vada whom Curly was still cleaning up while Charlie showed up with a glass of Gin… _his_ Gin to be exact.

Tommy watched as she took a sip, swishing it in her mouth for a moment before spitting it out…with more blood mixed it; Tommy clenched his jaw before walking back over to her as she took a sip of his Gin and swallowed.

“So I’m supposed to believe you killed your own men?” Tommy asked her.

Vada looked up at him, it was obvious she was tired and Tommy could tell that at some point, she had cried just a little bit before she pursed her lips at him “Yah. I did.” She said.

“They didn’t like taking orders from a gal.” she said before taking another sip of Gin.

Tommy nodded, making eye contact with Charlie as he head motioned for him and Curly to give the two of them a moment; he took a seat next to her while she took another sip of the Gin.

“So, have you heard from your father?” Tommy asked her.

Vada nodded slowly “Should be here tomorrow.” She said softly, glancing over at Tommy.

Tommy nodded “Good. Then we can sort out all this bull shit and you can go home…fuck up other peoples lives.”

Vada glared at him “We don’t ruin lives…we’re fighting for the true Irish way.”

Tommy couldn’t help but laugh, taking another drag of his cigarette as he shook his head “Whatever helps you sleep at night, girl.” He told her.

The two went silent for a moment before Tommy blew his cigarette smoke out through his nose; he thought before glancing over at the young woman “Well, I guess until tomorrow, you’ll stay with me so I can keep an eye on you. Don’t want you getting into any more trouble, yeah?” he said before standing up.

“Do I have to?” Vada asked.

“It would be highly recommended you do so.” Tommy told her.

Vada stood up, inches away from Tommy’s face as she frowned “Is that a threat?”

Tommy smirked at her, not saying a work before turning away from Vada and began to walk towards his brother; she stood there, frustrated and ready to honestly kick that Shelby’s ass—but she was too tired to raise another finger.

But she wasn’t going to let her stubbornness stop her, she didn’t like Tommy and didn’t want to be around him longer than necessary—but what other reason could he want her in his line of sight for the next 24 hours? She couldn’t trust his intensions.


	5. The Agricultural Irish Girl

It was a dreary night inside the manor of Thomas Shelby, and it was honestly too quiet for Vada as she sat up in her bed and turned on the lamp. 

She wasn’t one to dwell, but she couldn’t wait for her father to arrive in the morning so she could show him all that she accomplished—to prove herself amongst the ranks of her brothers and the men before her. 

Vada got out of bed and slowly inched her way to the door, trying to not let any of the floor boards creak while she opened the door to see darkness; she sighed as she turned back to her bed to see her cigarette case and lighter on the night table before she hurried across to retrieve them and exited the bedroom.

Her feet barely touch the ground while going down the stairs, she didn’t want to draw any attention nor wake up Tommy as she headed to the front door and opened it as quietly as she could and stood on the front porch.

The rain had picked up, going from a drizzle earlier to a full-on pour while Vada took a seat on the edge of the porch to enjoy the view but not get wet as she then lit a cigarette. 

She leaned against the brick, taking a drag of her cigarette before blowing it out and humming to herself as she enjoyed the sensation of the mist from dropping rain drops hitting her knees. 

_“If all the girls that's in this town were bundled up together, the girl I love would beat them all in every kind of weather; the rain can't wash the powder off, because she does not wear it, her face and figure is all her own, that's the truth, for I declare it…”_

Vada stopped for a moment to take another drag of her cigarette, smiling to herself as she blew out the smoke and continued singing the tune: _“…For she's a great big stout, lump of an agricultural Irish girl. She never paints or powders, for her figure Is all her own; She can strike that bard you'd think you were hit by the kick of a mule, the full of the house of Irish love is Mary Ann Malone.”_

“That’s lovely.” 

Vada gasped, turning behind her to see Tommy with his hands in his pockets “Jesus Christ! Ya scared the shite out of me!” she said, taking another drag of her cigarette. 

Tommy smiled, walking closer to Vada as he looked out into the rain “My wife used to sing like that. She had a lovely voice.” He said. 

She looked up at him “Used to?” 

“She died,” Tommy said bluntly “Took a bullet to the chest that was meant for me.” 

It was quiet between the two of them for a moment “I’m very sorry.” Vada said softly “Y’know, my ma…she got sick a few years back. Whatever it was, it didn’t take long to take her. It was hard…especially for me da. It was like his whole world just completely caved in on itself. Probably what caused him to join the IRA.” She gabbed on, taking one last drag of her cigarette before putting it out against the porch. 

Tommy looked down at Vada as she continued to look out into the rain.

“This wife…she have a name?” Vada asked, not looking away from the rain.

Tommy took a moment to compose himself “Grace.” He muttered, before kneeling down to take a seat next to Vada. “She was Irish. Just like you. The most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.” 

Vada glanced at Tommy “I’ve never been in love.” She admitted “But I can’t imagine the pain of losing the one person you love the most. Kinda makes the whole ‘til death do us part’ a fuk’ing sick joke.” She said.

Tommy couldn’t help but smile at Vada “Y’know, we’re not so different; you and I.”

Vada couldn’t help but scuff “I doubt that very seriously.” She said, looking at him with a smirk on her face “…but maybe I’m wrong. There’s still time for us yet.” 

She stood up, brushing dirt off the bottom of her pants before looking back down at Tommy “I’m gonna try to get some sleep. G’night, Mr. Shelby.” She said before walking back into the house. 

 

The next morning, Ira Kilpatrick arrived to the Shelby manor just as the sun was coming up; Tommy, Arthur, Ira and his cronies holed themselves up in Tommy’s office with the door closed, sitting around Tommy’s desk. 

“Look, I don’t want no trouble, yeah?” Ira told the Shelby brothers. 

Tommy nodded as he played with his lit cigarette between his fingers “I completely agree. No trouble. I just want there to be an understanding that I don’t want IRA business in my town.” He said sternly.

Ira smirked “I get ya. It was a one time thing, I swear.” He said.

“I’d hope so. Especially since you sent a young girl to do your dirty work.” Tommy continued, taking a quick drag of cigarette.   
The Irishman chuckled “Of course.” 

“No matter. I won’t tolerate any other incidents that come from the IRA. If I see another IRA solider here, I will not hesitate to kill them and every last man you send in retaliation.” Tommy said, his jaw clenching for a moment “Even more so, I am weary of any man who sends his own daughter to do his bidding.” He accused Ira. 

Arthur clenched his fists, moving closer to Tommy while waiting for the man across the table to snap at him; but he didn’t; Ira just sat there for a moment before smiling.

“In all honesty, between us men, I just sent her here to get her out of the way. A menial task as it were.” Ira said.

Tommy glared at him “Excuse me?”

Ira shrugged “Her ma died a few years back, and I’ve got enough on my plate with the IRA, her brothers, and other political bull shite. Last thing I need is that girl running around, fu’king things up for us.” 

Arthur glared at him “You fucking piece of shit!” he yelled, lunging towards Ira as the Irishman stood up from his seat and his thugs put up a blockade while Tommy grabbed Arthur and pulled him back.

“Oi! Is this how you treat all your guests!?” Ira yelled.

Tommy huffed, putting his cigarette out while pushing Arthur aside; though Ira’s words were still playing in his mind and all he could think about was Ruby. Sweet, little Ruby. She’d be a year soon enough—and Tommy wouldn’t dare think of using his daughter, or son for that matter, as a pawn for his own political agenda. 

“Family is family.” Tommy said sternly, his arms behind his back as he glared at Ira.

Tommy got closer to Ira’s thugs, managing to move them aside to get closer to Ira who glared back at him, his chest puffing up as if ready to attack. 

“Since you cannot be bothered, let me take Vada off your hands. I’m sure I can find something for her to do. Something to keep her busy…somewhere she feels…” Tommy paused, thinking of the right word to say as he shrugged his shoulders “Loved. And welcomed.” 

Ira pushed up against Tommy, attempting to intimidate the man as he took off his glasses and glared him down “Get your men out of my house. Now.” He whispered. 

The Irishman pulled away, whistling as he rounded up his men “Take her. I don’t fu’king want her!” he yelled as he opened the office door and stormed out.

Vada was waiting in the Foyer, she smiled at her father to greet him, though he bumped his shoulder against hers and kept walking; Vada turned to watch her father and his men go back to their cars; she began to follow behind when Arthur grabbed his shoulders and pulled her back into the house gently.

“No, love.” He simply said, his rugged voice shaking slightly before he closed the door.

Vada pulled away and turned to look at Arthur “What the fuck?” she yelled, storming into Tommy’s office as he lit another cigarette “What the fuck!?” she yelled again. 

Tommy gave her a second, she was seething with anger as she waited for him to say something as he blew out the smoke from his cigarette.

“Sit down.” He said sternly.


	6. Hell Hath No Fury...

Arthur dodged another glass as Vada threw it at the wall, his hands out to try and calm her down while Tommy just stood at his desk with his arms crossed and a very unenthused look on his face. 

 

“Oi! Take it easy! Don’t wanna throw your arm out!” Arthur pleaded. 

 

“FUCK OFF!” Vada yelled, knocking over the glass bottle of Scotch that landed on the rug with a loud thud. 

 

Tommy rubbed his temple as he watched Arthur attempt to subdue the Irish girl to no avail, her screaming and Arthur’s yelling was giving him a headache and he was honestly getting tired of listening to them when he finally whistled.

 

Vada stopped screaming and turned to face Tommy, her eyes bloodshot and her breathing heavy as she glared at him with fury in her eyes. 

 

“That’s enough.” Tommy said.

 

Vada huffed, her lips scrunched together as she tried to stop herself from crying anymore, wiping forming tears away from her eyes while she glared at Tommy who had his hands on his pants pocket as he glared back at her. 

 

“I’m sorry, I think the three of us can agree that your father is an absolutely prick, and should you feel so inclined...we can  _ deal with _ him.” Tommy said in his calm demeanor.

 

Vada tilted her head as she inched towards Tommy “ _ Deal with _ him?” 

 

“Slit his fucking throat.” Arthur grumbled. 

 

Vada looked over at Arthur before turning back to Tommy as she stood across him at his desk “No.” she muttered “I’m angry, but I don’t want to harm him...not physically, anyway.” 

 

Tommy smirked, reaching into his coat pocket to retrieve his cigarette case and pulled one out “I’m sure we can work something out, girl.” 

 

She furrowed his brow at him, leaning over his desk as she smirked at him “And another thing, don’t call me girl.” she said, grabbing the paper weight off his desk and turned to throw it at the bookshelf behind Arthur. 

 

It had a curve to it as it hit the bookshelf by the door just as it was opening, almost hitting Alfie Solomons as he entered the room. 

 

Vada held her breath as she looked at Alfie while he closed the door and looked at the mess in the room “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” he said before shutting the door behind him. 

 

“I’m sorry.” Vada said softly. 

 

Alfie smiled “It’s alright, darling. Wouldn’t be as bad as the time Thomas here shot me in the face.” he said, inching his way towards the desk.

 

Vada turns back towards Tommy as Alfie approached the desk “You shot him?” 

 

“Yes, but he couldn’t bring himself to kill me, could you Tommy?” Alfie asked as he sat down, posing with his cane.  

 

Tommy stared at Alfie before looking back up at Vada “If you’ll excuse us, Vada, there is something business Mr. Solomans and I need to attend to.” he said. 

 

Vada nodded, turning to leave while Arthur opened the door and Alfie cleared his throat “Oh, Ms. Kilpatrick,” he said, turning to Vada.

 

She turned back to him, wondering what exactly he would have to say to her; it wasn’t as if they knew each other very well...just that one day on Charlie’s Yard after Arthur first found her. 

 

“If you’re still going to be in town for the next few days, I’d love to have you over to my bakery for a cup of tea.” Alfie offered. 

 

Vada glanced at Tommy before she smiled at Alfie “I’ll actually be staying indefinitely.” she informed Alfie “So, I’d love to have a cup’a tea with ya..” she said before leaving the office and shut the door behind her. 

 

Tommy finally lit his cigarette as he sat down, taking a drag of it as Arthur took a seat next to Alfie who waited patiently. 

 

“Alright, Alfie, have you thought about what we talked about?” Tommy asked. 

 

“Yes, I did, Tommy.” Alfie said, sitting on the edge of his seat “But I wanna talk about our little Irish friend.” he said, clearing his throat. 

 

Tommy fiddled his cigarette between his fingers “And why would you want to do that?” he asked. 

 

“A little birdie told me that the IRA are heading to the Soviet Union to meet with Joseph Stalin soon. A very hush, hush, thing, but with your history with the Russians…” Alfie trailed off, giving Tommy a second to think. 

 

Tommy took another drag of his cigarette “Are you implying she might be involved?” he asked. 

 

“I’m not implying anything, just observing.” Alfie told him before sinking further into his chair. 

 

Tommy nodded to himself, looking at the man across from him--he knew Alfie well enough to know that there was reading between the lines with this conversation, he just wasn’t sure if he wanted to pursuit them. 

 

“And why would you care what that lot is doing, Alfie?” Tommy asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him this one time. 

 

Alfie shrugged softly “It’s just a bit interesting, don’t you think? Those IRA types...they tend to leave a trail of bodies behind them. Imagine if they start doing business with the Russians?” he remarked. 

 

“It’s none of my concern, Alfie.” Tommy told him, leaning back into his chair. 

 

Alfie growled “Well maybe it should be. I’m not saying our little Flame haired friend is involved, but she might know something.”

 

“I don’t think she does.” Tommy said.

 

“But what if she does?” Alfie pushed. 

 

Tommy huffed, taking another drag of his cigarette “She doesn’t. Trust me.” 

 

Alfie tilted his head “You know something I don’t?” 

 

“Yeah, but I’m not at liberty to discuss it. Maybe Vada and you can discuss it over tea.” Tommy said coyly. 

 

Alfie thought for a moment while looking down at his feet “Yeah, I suppose. It’ll give us something to talk about.” he said softly, as if to himself before looking back up at Tommy. 

 

“Shall we get back to business?” Tommy asked.

 

“Of course, of course.” Alfie said, getting comfortable in his chair. 

  
  
  



	7. Meet The Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What?! Two chapters in a 24 hour span??! I know. It's weird. But I have a new job that allowed me to write for periods/moments in time. But until the next chapter, enjoy...

Tommy needed her out of the house if just for his own sanity as he told Arthur to take Vada ‘anywhere but here’, Arthur obliged as he took her to the Betting House and gave her a tour as well as an introduction to the family.

“If ya plan on staying here, you’re gonna need a job, lassie. But I’m sure Tommy could set you up with some’ing.” Arthur told her; he was trying to give her a sense of security while keeping her close behind him. 

“I’m sure I can find something on my own.” Vada told him.

Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle “Well, just tell people you’re with the Peaky Blinders--you’ll get anything ya want, love.” he said, walking towards an office.

“Now, I know you’ve met Michael, but lets give ya a formal introduction.” he said, knocking on the office door before opening it. 

As the door opened, Vada let out a shocking gasp while Arthur yelled out in disgust as they saw the sight of Michael Gray with his butt exposed to the two of them with a young lady, who was a bit older than he was, bent over the table as he fucked her mercilessly. 

Michael looked over his shoulder to see them as he lost his concentration and yelled at the two of them, the young woman screaming as she attempted to cover herself while Arthur panicked and closed the door and looked over at Vada, who was blushing hard with her eyes wide. 

They were quiet, staring at each other when Arthur nodded “Maybe later?” he suggested.

Vada nodded, walking away from the office door and along the hall as she was introduced to more people and then Polly.

“Polly, this is Vada. She’s the Irish girl Tommy’s been talking about.” Arthur introduced her. 

Polly hummed “So you’re the one causing all that trouble?” she asked as she looked Vada over. 

“Well, I wouldn’t say doin’ a number so much as just being bold.” Vada said with a small smile on her face, and her hands in her pockets. 

Polly smirked “Cheeky one, aren’t you?” 

Vada kept her stance, raising an eyebrow slightly as her smile turned into a playful smirk “Only when the occasion calls for it.” 

“And does this situation call for it?” Polly asked. 

Vada opened her mouth to speak when the three of them heard a door open behind them as they turned to see Michael’s office door open with the young woman storming out and Michael following behind with his clothes disheveled.

“Are you fucking kiddin’ me, Michael!?” Polly yelled, scaring Vada as she jumped slightly when she looked at Polly who was fuming. 

Polly pushed aside Arthur and Vada, excusing herself as she stormed towards Michael who rolled his eyes and walked back into his office, ready for his mother's wrath as she slammed the door behind her. 

Arthur chuckled as he grabbed a hold of Vada’s shoulder “That’s our Aunt Polly, she’s Michael’s mum. Boy, is he in trouble.” he said, guiding Vada towards the back and into the Shelby’s home.

“So then Michael is your cousin?” Vada asked. 

Arthur nodded “We’re a bit of a family affair. Keep your nose clean, and you might become a part of the family.” he told her. 

“Keep my nose clean? Coming from a Peaky Blinder, that sounds counter productive.” Vada remarked, taking a seat at the table while Arthur made her a cup of tea. 

Arthur chuckled “Well, ya know what I mean.” he said, taking a seat next to Vada with her cup of tea. 

They were silent as they sipped on their tea, listening to the hustle and bustle of the Betting House on the opposite end of the door while they waited for either one of them to say something. 

“How’s yer face?” Arthur asked. 

Vada looked at him and smirked “Well, the swelling went down, so I don’t look like a complete monster.” she told him. 

Arthur couldn’t help but laugh “It gives ya character. But just don’t get into any more fist fights.” 

Vada just smiled, taking a sip of her tea when the door behind her opened and Arthur smirked “Oi, Ada, what are ya doing here?”

“I’m dropping off Karl. Who’s this?” Ada asked. 

Vada looked over her shoulder at Ada, who looked tried to hide her look of disgust as they locked eyes “I’m Ada.”   
“I’m Vada.” 

“Ada and Vada. They rhyme!” Karl said, giggling as he looked up at his mother. 

Ada smiled “Yes, they do.” she told him. 

“What happened to your face?” Karl asked Vada. 

Ada gasped “Karl! You can’t just ask people that.” she scowled him. 

Vada smiled as she turned to completely face the young boy and expose her bruised face to him “I got into a fight with a very bad man.” she explained to him.

“Did you win?” Karl asked her. 

Arthur laughed “Yes, she did!” he responded. 

While Arthur was laughing, Polly walked in with a scowl on her face “I swear to God, that boy...why can’t he be bothered to keep it in his pants for more than 2 hours? And even more so, why does he manage to keep finding these floozies when he could find a perfectly sweet girl to bring home to his mother?” she huffed. 

Arthur and Vada tried to hide their smiles as Polly took one look at Karl and Ada before showing a huge smile and held Karl close before giving him a kiss. 

“I’ll be back before 7.” Ada told Polly.

Polly nodded “Make sure it’s no later than 7, I have a life y’know.” she insisted. 

Ada smiled “I promise, Aunt Polly.” she said before kissing her cheek, told her son goodbye and left.

“So, Vada, are you hungry?” Polly asked. 

Vada looked over at Polly “Uhh, yeah, a little.” 

Polly smiled “Good, why don’t the three of us head back to my place for lunch? Then the two of us can get to know each other a little better.” she said. 

Vada thought for a moment, Polly seemed like a women she didn’t want to fuck with--but all she did was smile and nod “Sure. That sounds lovely.”

“Perfect.” Polly cheered “Let me go grab my coat and we’ll go.” she said, before leaving the room. 

Vada turned back to Arthur who smiled at her “She likes you.” he said coyly. 

The Irish girl couldn’t help but roll her eyes “Her eyes might say ‘like’, but her tone says ‘kill’.” Vada said before standing up from her seat.


	8. Tea Leaves and Gin

The house was silent with only the sound of the ticking clock in the dining room while Polly and Vada uncomfortable stared at each other. 

Vada sighed, finally looking away and awkwardly smiling as she looked around the dining room. 

“Would you like some tea, Vada?” Polly asked. 

Vada turned back to Polly “Yes. Yes, I would.” she accepted. 

Polly stood up from her seat and walked into the kitchen, leaving Vada alone with her thoughts as she continued to look around the room at the pictures of her and the Shelby family on the walls as well as other decorations. 

She heard the slight rattling of tea cups as Vada turned to see Polly return with a tray of two tea cups, a tea pot, as well as some sugar and milk; Polly walked with grace as she placed the tray on the table, pouring hot water into the cup before placing it on a saucer in front of Vada. 

“Have you ever had loose leaf tea before, Vada?” Polly asked.

Vada shook her head, giving Polly some pause before she smiled “Well, then you’re in for quite the treat. Sugar? Milk? Honey?” she offered. 

“No, I’m fine.” Vada said, a soft smile on her face before she took a sip of her tea. 

Polly hummed, taking her seat across from Vada “Lunch will be ready in just a moment.” she assured her. 

“I’m in no rush, Ms. Gray.” Vada told her.

The two women sat in silence for a second before Polly adjusted in her seat “So, Vada, how long are you planning on staying here in Birmingham?” she asked. 

Vada didn’t say anything for a moment, shrugging her shoulders at Polly “I don’t know.” she said softly. 

Polly nodded “Does the IRA have more business for you here? Cause if you do, we’re going to have a problem.” she told the young girl sternly.

Vada nodded, looking down at her cup of tea “I’m no longer a member of the IRA as of 8:00 a.m this morning.” she informed her.

She raised an eyebrow “And why is that?”

“Because my father has abandoned me.” the Irish girl said boldly. 

It was awkward again, Polly looking away from Vada as she took a sip of her tea “I’m so sorry to hear that.” 

“He’s an ungrateful piece of shite. So, I suppose it’s for the best, yeh?” Vada remarked, taking another sip of her tea.

Polly didn’t say anything, she just hummed while continuing to sip her tea while Vada just wanted lunch to be ready so they didn’t have to sit there awkwardly in silence much longer. 

 

Arthur walked through his distillery while smoking a cigarette, he could hear his men getting a shipment set up for New York which he reminded himself was running behind because a valve has broken but nobody noticed for weeks. 

Just thinking about that whole incident made him flare his nostrils while he made his way to the back where a small table was waiting for him.

“Tommy,” he heard coming from behind him as he turned around to see Johnny attempting to catch up with him “Taste this.” he said, handing Tommy a small flask. 

Tommy grabbed the flask and took a swig, tasting the Gin in his mouth before swallowing it “What is this?” he asked.

“It’s your Gin, Tommy.” Johnny told him. 

Tommy shook his head in disagreement as he gave the flask back to Johnny “That’s not my Gin! That tastes like cheap perfume!” 

“I know!” Johnny said “I think that part we installed yesterday is the culprit. Granted, it tasted a little off before we fixed the valve, but this is a whole new level!” he told Tommy. 

Tommy huffed, thinking as he tried to come up with a solution to this dilemma “Alright, dump it all! Anything that was made after the valve was replaced. And then just keep making and dumping until it tastes like something close to the old stuff.””

Johnny frowned as he listened to Tommy, just as Arthur approached the two of them to join the conversation.

“Tommy, that’s gonna cost us so much money!” Johnny insisted.   
“Quality over quantity.” Tommy told him, pointing his fingers at him.

Arthur saw the flask Johnny was holding, and took it from his hands to take a sip, only to spit it out when he tasted the liquid. 

“Jesus Christ! What the fuck is that!?” Arthur yelled, wiping his mouth off with his sleeve. 

Tommy ignored Arthur as he nodded at Johnny “I don’t want to send shit Gin to America. Just get it back to normal as soon as possible!” he instructed.

Johnny just nodded before he turned to leave, grabbing his flask back from Arthur before leaving the two brothers alone.

“Where’s Ms. Kilpatrick?” Tommy asked.

“She’s having lunch with Polly.” Arthur said.

Tommy raised an eyebrow at his older brother “Why?” 

Arthur shrugged his shoulders “I don’t know. Polly just wanted to have lunch with her. Who am I to tell her not to?”

“Well, I guess there’s no trying to stop it. Whatever happens, happens. I just hope Polly doesn’t do anything rash.” Tommy said, pulling out his cigarette case to retrieve a cigarette from it. 

Arthur nodded, crossing his arms as he walked closer to his brother “So what are we going to do with her?” 

Tommy looked out the window as he thought, lighting his cigarette before taking a puff while giving himself a moment to think.

“She could be useful,” Arthur told Tommy. 

Tommy nodded “I know. She has strength, endurance, smarts...beauty.” 

Arthur arched an eyebrow at him “You’re not going to whore her out, are you?”

“What?” Tommy asked, turning back to Arthur “She’s more than just a pretty face, Arthur. She could prove to be a power ally, if we play our cards right.” 

Arthur grumbled, taking another step towards Tommy as he stood next to him “I think she might fit right in here. Become one of us.” he suggested. 

Tommy hummed, fiddling with his cigarette “Maybe so, Arthur, maybe so.”

 

It was still awkward between the two of them as they finished their lunch and sipped on their tea; it had taken her the duration of lunch for Vada to finish her cup of tea, but when she finally placed the empty glass down, Polly perked up.

“Can I read your leaves?” Polly asked. 

Vada looked up at Polly confused “My what?”

“Can I read your tea leaves?” Polly asked, smiling softly as she reached out for the tea cup. 

The young woman wasn’t sure what to say as she just slowly pushed her saucer towards Polly and sank back into her chair. 

Polly’s smile got bigger as she reached for the tea cup and looked inside “Tea leaf readings are a form of fortune telling.” she informed Vada. 

Vada hummed as she watched Polly read the cup, she was so intensely focused on the task and Vada couldn’t help but be mesmerised by the way Polly’s eyebrow arched with a new revelation. 

“What do my leaves say?” Vada asked, trying not to sound like she was mocking Polly.

Polly hummed with a small smile on her face “You’re going to do great things.” she said. 

Vada slowly nodded “Okay.”

“Don’t worry about your father, he’ll get his.” Polly continued on “You’re going to be a very powerful woman.” 

Vada smirked as she continued to watch Polly as she turned the tea cup around in her hands. 

“You’re going to get married…” Polly said “Very soon as a matter of fact.” she continued before looked up at Vada. 

She scuffed “What? How?” she asked with a laugh “That’s ridiculous!” 

Polly smirked as she put the tea cup down “That’s what the tea leaves say…”

“Do they say to who?” Vada asked.   
Polly looked back into the tea cup for a moment “No.” she said bluntly.

Vada nodded “Okay. Fine. We’ll see how true these tea leaves are.”


	9. Fighting Words

It had been a rather quiet two weeks for Tommy, the Gin dilemma was fixed, Vada was acclimating well and was doing odd jobs for the Peaky Blinders (and she was amazing at it), and nobody was trying to kill them.

He was enjoying a cigarette as he looked out the window of his bedroom, he was appreciating the fog that hid his home away from the rest of the world, the precipitation on the window, and the way the wind blew the grass around the lawn. 

“Tommy?” he heard a voice behind him, knocking on the framing of his door when he turned around to see Lizzie holding Ruby “There’s a man here to see you.” she informed him. 

Tommy raised his eyebrows at her “Does he have a name?” he asked. 

“He didn’t say. Just said he wanted to talk to you.” Lizzie remarked. 

Tommy put out his cigarette while adjusting his coat and walked towards Lizzie, reaching out for Ruby as he held her close in his arms while walking out of his bedroom and down the stairs. 

The man standing in the Foyer was standing with his cap in his hands, wringing it as he had his back to Tommy before turning around to show himself as none other than Ira Kilpatrick.

“Mr. Kilpatrick, what brings you back to Birmingham?” Tommy asked, approaching the Irishman who gave off a rather sheepish energy. 

Ira cleared his throat “Mr. Shelby, could I have a moment of yer time?”

Tommy thought for a moment, adjusting Ruby’s clothes when he finally nodded and motioned his head towards his office where Ira immediately walked.

“Do you want me to…?” Lizzie offered, reaching out for Ruby.

Tommy shook his head “No, no...I’ve got her.” he assured Lizzie, following Ira into his office before closing the door. 

“First of all, I would like to apologize for my behavior the last time we saw each other, yeah?” Ira said as he sit in a chair. 

Tommy nodded to himself, smiling at Ruby before sitting her down on the floor with her playmat and toys in the corner “Please get to the point Mr. Kilpatrick.” he said, looking over at the Irishman.

Ira nodded “Alright then,” he said, swallowing hard “I was wondering if you could help me find ma daughter? I made a mistake, I took her for granted, and now I need her help but can’t seem to find her in this dump!” 

Tommy frowned, walking around to his desk and sat across from Ira “And why would I help you? You and your men have caused nothing but trouble; and even if I did help you find her, how can you be so sure she would want to come back to ya?” he asked. 

“I don’t.” Ira said. 

“Okay. Well, I do know where Vada is today, but she has become a part of our family here and I doubt she would want to go back to the man who was supposed to love her unconditionally, but tossed her aside.” Tommy said, glaring at Ira with his blue eyes. 

Ira scuffed “She’s not one of you and she never will be!”

“Maybe so.” Tommy responded, still glaring at Ira. 

The two men stared each other down in silence for a moment before Tommy nodded to himself “Alright, I’ll talk to her, see if I can get her to want to talk to you.” he offered. 

Ira just glared at Tommy, who was waiting for an answer “Anything else, Mr. Kilpatrick?” Tommy asked.

The Irishman just huffed “No.” he said before looking away.

Tommy nodded “Good. I’ll let you know in a day or two if I succeeded.” 

Ira didn’t look at Tommy as he just gave a quick nod before standing up from his seat “Maybe when this is all sorted, we can do some business, Mr. Shelby, yeah?” 

“I highly doubt it.” Tommy said, his jaw firm with his glare almost staring into his soul. 

Ira didn’t say anything as he walked out of the office, leaving Tommy alone while he waited to hear the front door open and close.

“Mary!” Tommy called out “Ready my car, please…” he requested before standing up from his seat to check on Ruby who was still playing in her corner, oblivious to the conversation that had just occurred. 

 

The boys were walking through the warehouse, laughing while the workers around them glanced periodically; Bonnie, Finn, Isaiah, and Michael were killing time until something better came along when Bonnie stretched out and huffed.

“I really need to practice, boys.” he remarked.

FInn smirked “Then maybe go to the gym?” he suggested.

Bonnie shook his head “Nah, mate, need a partner to work with, but Tommy’s been too busy to find one. Getting kinda restless, yeah…”

“I’ll fight ya.” they heard echo.

The boys turned to see Vada jump off the edge of a barrier wall as she approached the 4 of them, Finn and Isaiah couldn’t help but chuckle while Bonnie shook his head “Nah, no way! I can’t fight a girl! Look at yah!”

Vada tilted her head and crossed her arms “What? You’re not scared of fighting little of me, are ya?” she taunted with a smirk.

“I mean, we all saw her with those Paddy’s a couple weeks back.” Finn interjected.

“I’m one of those Paddy’s, ya little shite!” Vada remarked, forcing Finn to lose his smile. 

Vada looked back over at Bonnie as she approached him “Look, ya need the practice, and I need to let off some steam. We both win, yeah?” she tempted the boxer.

The two stared each other down, not breaking eye contact.

“Go get my gloves from the car.” Bonnie said.

Vada smiled at Bonnie while the other three reacted, yelling and arguing when Finn ran out of the warehouse and Isaiah commented that there was an extra pair at the Yard before backing away slowly to head that way.


	10. The Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple things:  
> 1\. HAPPY FAN FICTION WRITER DAY  
> 2\. I'm sorry  
> 3\. This chapter is shit.   
> 4\. I'm declaring Vada a Mary Sue at this point, I don't fucking care anymore.

The yells were deafening, the workers had gathered around, building a makeshift ring with their bodies while Arthur was taking bets. 

“Alright you lot! 2 more minutes to get your bets in. Speak now, or forever hold your peace!” Arthur yelled, pacing around the men as they tried to put their money in before the impromptu fight began. 

The younger Blinders watched in amusement, having already put their bids in and were just waiting for the bell to be rung so they could watch Vada and Bonnie go at each other. 

“Thank God Tommy’s not here, yeah?” Isaiah remarked, nudging Michael who smirked.

Finn shook his head in disagreement “Nah, I don’t think he’d mind too much. Make a profit off this sorta thing. Get his money back from his workers.” he raised his eyebrows when finally the bell rung. 

The roars from the workers got louder as the two fighters walked into the ring on opposite ends of each other; Bonnie has changed into his boxing wardrobe while Vada modified her work clothes: suspenders down and dangling from her pants with a tank top.

Arthur pushed past the workers as he made it into the ring, whistling as loud as he could to silence the crowd “GENTLEMEN, we have a very special treat for you today! We’ve got the Gypsy versus the Paddy here! Coming in at 156 pounds and a mean right hook, it’s Bonnie Gold; and on my left at a whopping…” Arthur paused to look at Vada who mouthed ‘about 110’ “...AT a whopping 110 pounds, gentlemen, look past the feminine beauty in her eyes, she’s a cold blooded killer: Vada Kilpatrick! ” he announced. 

The crowd cheered for a moment before Arthur motioned them to quiet down as he walked into the center of the ring and motioned Bonnie and Vada to join him as they stared each other square in the eye.

“Alright, I want a good clean fight! Especially from you, Kilpatrick, I’ve got 20 quid on you!” Arthur remarked, right as the bell dinged to initiate the first round. 

Bonnie and Vada bumped their gloves when Bonnie gave her a smirk “I’ll go easy on ya.”

“Don’t,” Vada responded “You’ll live longer!” she said with a smirk of her own. 

They backed away from each other, putting their gloves up to shield their face as they danced around each other when Bonnie took the first swing, but Vada twisted her body out of the way. 

“Are we even sure this is a good idea?” Michael asked, putting a cigarette between his lips. 

Isaiah and Finn turned to him, with the younger cousin scuffing at him “Already regretting your bid, Michael?” he teased. 

Michael shook his head ‘Naw, just...he’s twice the size of her, and how did we manage to convince this lot that fighting a girl was good sport?”

“Well,” Isaiah stopped himself to think “Vada has a reputation here already, guess they were just fine, knowing she can hold her own?”

Michael glanced at his friend, getting ready to give a sass remark when he saw Tommy’s car pull up to the door and get out, making his way towards the crowd. 

“Oh, fuck!” Michael said, getting Isaiah and Finn’s attention as they turned to see Tommy approaching as well, and with a not-too-pleased look on his face as he reached the crowd and looked to try and see what was going on. 

Tommy clenched his jaw as he looked to the boys, who looked back at him with dumbfounded looks on their faces. 

“Whose idea was this!?” Tommy yelled only to let himself be heard by the boys. 

Finn pointed to Vada and Bonnie, who had escalated quickly in their fight as Bonnie already had a bloody nose and Vada with a busted lip; Tommy shook his head in disbelief before sighing to himself and moving his way in between the boys to watch. 

“Is there any betting going on?” Tommy asked. 

Michael nodded, finally lighting his cigarette “Of course there is.” he said. 

“And dare I ask what the odds are?” Tommy asked.

Michael looked at his cousin with a smile “1 in 50 chance she wins. But I believe in her.” he said.

Tommy raised an eyebrow “You bet on her?” 

Finn chuckled “Yeah, just him and Arthur. Everyone else made the smart choice of putting their money on Bonnie.” he told his brother before yelling a profanity at Bonnie.

“I mean, look at her, she’s still got her bruises from the LAST beatdown she got!” Finn continued on. 

Tommy shook his head “No, no, this isn’t right!” he said before whistling loud enough to get the attention of every worker when Bonnie glanced at Tommy just long enough to give Vada her opportunity, as her glove collided with his face and knocked him onto the floor. 

The room went silent, everyone looking at Tommy who was nearly fuming as he walked into the ring, glaring at Vada as she stared back at him for a split second before turning to see the moving figure coming out from the corner of her eye to see Arthur, checking on Bonnie who was completely unconscious. 

“Oh, my god!” Vada said, kneeling next to Bonnie as she used her teeth to unlace her glove “Bonnie?” she called out which Arthur gave him a gentle nudge. 

Bonnie groaned, as his eyes started to open groggily “Bonnie?” Vada called out to him as she pulled her glove from her hand “How many fingers do ya see, Bonnie?” she asked, holding up 3 fingers. 

He was quiet for a moment as he looked up at her “6. No...3…” he said.

Vada sighed with relief “Oh thank god.” she muttered, looking over at Arthur who nodded, before clearing his throat and grabbed Vada’s wrist and picked her up off the floor. 

“WINNER!” Arthur announced. 

The crowd groaned and booed while Michael celebrated, throwing his arms into the air and cheering for himself; Vada took her arm back and helped Arthur pick Bonnie up off the floor and began to help him walk towards the back of the warehouse, if just to give him some silence as he came to. 

They laid him down on the floor and watched him wake up while Vada took off her other glove before taking off Bonnie’s as she watched his eyes grow wider as he opened them.

“Bonnie, I’m so sorry! I didn’t even realize what had happened until you were on the ground.” Vada told him.

Bonnie shook his head “Nah, you’re fine. You are a worthy opponent...and a good friend.” he assured her. 

Vada smiled at Bonnie “Thank you.” she whispered to him.

“Oi!” Tommy said, coming up behind Vada “I wanna talk to you, right now!” he said before storming out of the room. 

Vada and Arthur shared a glance “Don’t worry love, I got your back.” Arthur assured her as she stood up and followed Tommy.


	11. Daff Bastards

She followed Tommy into the meeting room upstairs before he slammed the door as Vada entered the room, she twirled around to face him with a grimace on her face. 

“It was all in good fun, Tommy. I swear!” Vada remarked.

Tommy shook his head “This isn’t about the fight,” he told her; she went quiet as he watched her for a moment “I saw your father this morning.” 

Vada clenched her jaw, taking a deep breathe in before releasing it “And what did that daff bastard want?” she crossed her arms. 

“He wants ya back, Vada. He wants you to come home.” Tommy said.

She scoffed, chuckling to herself as she turned away from Tommy, tapping on the table with one finger before she stopped “I don’t want to go back.” she whispered. 

Tommy took a step closer to her “I figured you say that.” 

Vada glanced over at him “Are you going to send me back?” she asked, completely facing him now as her eyes began to well up. 

“No, Vada, I’m not going to send you back. Not if you don’t want to.” Tommy told her. 

Vada sighed with relief, wiping away the forming tears while clearing her throat “Okay, so now what?” she asked, regaining her composure as she waited for an answer. 

“I have a plan.” he informed her.

“Okay.”

“But you’re not going to like it. And you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but it’s the best chance you’ve got, yeah?” Tommy said to her.

Vada nodded “Just tell me! I’ll do anythin’, I swear.”

Tommy took off his glasses, giving her no indication of emotion as he looked into her eyes “You’re gonna get married.” he told her. 

“What!?” Vada asked, backing away from Tommy “To who? You? Tommy--I like ya and all, but...no.” 

Tommy shook his head ‘It doesn’t have to be me, in fact, I’d prefer if it wasn’t me.” 

Vada calmed herself again “Okay, well, do ya have someone in mind?” 

“Yes.” he nodded, trying to hide his smile “Michael.”

She glared at him “Alright, you’re just taking the piss, aren’t ya?” 

Tommy shook his head “No. His mother has been insistent he settle down. What would make a mother more proud than marrying an Irish girl?”

Vada crossed her arms, thinking to herself before she shrugged “And is Michael aware of this plan?”

“No,” Tommy said, shaking his head as he took a step towards her “But he will agree. He’ll do what he has to do for the family.” 

They were both silent, the tension was engulfing the room when Tommy took a hold of Vada’s arms gently “Vada, everything is going to be alright.” he assured her. 

She sighed, slowly nodding while looking away from Tommy who took his hands back before brushing dust off of her shirt “Alright, now lets go.” 

 

 

Tommy left Vada with Arthur and Bonnie, who was still recovering from the fight “She’s got a mean right hook, that one.” he said before Tommy walked away. 

“Michael, come with me.” Tommy instructed, walking out into the warehouse and past the boys to his car.

The young man rolled his eyes as he begrudgingly followed Tommy to his car; Tommy opened the car door and motioned Michael to get inside, which he did--sliding all the way over to the passenger side. 

As they drove off, Michael glanced over at Tommy every few seconds, waiting for his older cousin to say something; Michael wanted to speak, but wasn’t sure what was going on. Was he in trouble? Were they off to do a hit? Business meeting? He didn’t know, and the further Tommy drove, the less confident Michael was to ask any questions. 

The car pulled up to the betting house, Tommy and Michael left the vehicle and walked inside the busy lobby as they both maneuvered to Polly’s office with Tommy shutting the door behind them.   
Polly looked up from her glasses at the two of them and huffed “Oh for fucks sake, Michael, what did you do this time?” Polly asked, slightly annoyed.

Michael shrugged, a defensive gesture in his hands when Tommy shook his head “Nothing. He’s done nothing wrong. Just a quick family meeting...just the three of us.” 

The office was quiet before Tommy looked over at Michael “You’re getting married.” he told the young man.

“What!?” Michael asked, almost stunned from the shock he was experiencing. 

Polly raised an eyebrow at her nephew “Thomas, what the hell is going on?” she asked. 

Tommy looked over at his aunt “Michael is going to marry Vada.” he said.

Michael rolled his eyes “Like that sentence couldn’t get any worse.” he muttered to himself. 

“Why? What did you do, Tommy?” Polly asked, standing up from her chair. 

Tommy shook his head “Nothing. Ira Kilpatrick stopped by this morning, said he wanted Vada back. But she wants nothing to do with them.”

“So you’re gonna marry her off to your cousin because she doesn’t want to go home?” Polly asked, the tone in her voice now quite annoyed. 

Michael watched as Tommy moved closer to Polly “Ira Kilpatrick has been nothing more than a pain in our ass!” she told him.

“So then why don’t you just send her back? She’s not our problem, Tommy!” Polly insisted. 

Tommy pursed his lips “Polly, if she marries Michael, it forms a truce between us and them. Plus, I know for a fact that Vada is still in contact with her brothers; we can use her relationship with them to keep tabs on the IRA and make sure her father doesn’t cause any more issues for us.” 

“Also, it protects her from her father, who lets be honest for a moment, is a fucking psychopath.” Tommy continued. 

Polly and Michael were quiet for a moment, Polly looking at Tommy before glancing over at Michael “You’re marrying Vada.” she said “End of discussion.” 

Michael huffed, looking up at the ceiling if only to stop himself from punching a wall or his cousin.   
“Remember Michael, John and Esme were arranged, and we remember how those two were.” Tommy reminded Michael, who looked back down at his cousin. 

Michael took a deep breathe in, swallowing his pride before he opened the door and left, slamming it behind him. 

Tommy looked back over at Polly, who had pulled her reading glasses off and placed them on her desk “You better be right about this, Tommy.” 

He looked at her “Aren’t I always?” he asked rhetorically before leaving the office.


End file.
